More than 250 claimants have so far come forward for advice. An application has already been submitted to court for the tribunal to reconsider its decision in the claim brought by Community, to include non-member SSI workers.

And other workers who think they might be eligible are being warned to “act fast” so they don’t miss out.

Community argued that correct procedures weren’t followed during the redundancy process surrounding the Redcar steel plant closure, which led to the loss of more than 2,000 direct jobs.

The full payout total of the claim from the Government’s Redundancy Payments Office, which was upheld by a Teesside employment judge in court, on March 3, was £6.25m.

Workers who were part of Community’s claim received their share of the award up to a maximum of eight weeks’ pay.

The headline figure would have been more than £14m but because SSI UK is bankrupt, workers will only get the share that the Government pays.

The campaign, which has seen Tyne & Wear-based firm PG Legal team up with the clinic at the Teesside University Law School (TULS), is also being strongly backed by Labour MP for Redcar, Anna Turley.

PG Legal consultant Andrew Perriman, who is also a senior lecturer within TULS, said: “SSI workers who think they should be included within the application need to act quickly and get in touch with the Law Clinic or PG Legal as there is a real risk of them missing out.”

Director of PG Legal and head of its employment team, John Mitton, added: “We are happy to support this work on behalf of the SSI workers omitted from the union’s claim, particularly as the Law Clinic itself has limited resources and will closed during the University holiday periods. Our involvement allows a continuity of representation, which otherwise might not be possible.”

Former employees who were not a member of the union, and think they could benefit from guidance and assistance, can contact Andrew Perriman at Andrew.Perriman@pglegal.co.uk or John Mitton at John.mitton@pglegal.co.uk or ring 0191 466 1080.